October 15, 2018 AT 12:00 am

Dachsund Receives 3D-Printed Skull Replacement

Patches, a nine-year-old dachshund, is now cancer-free thanks to a group of researchers.

Veterinary surgical oncologist Michelle Oblak from the University of Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College and Cornell University’s small-animal surgeon Galina Hayes were the researchers who accomplished this veterinary first.

They worked in collaboration with medical technological company Adeiss to design and make a 3D-printed plate, which was intended to replace a large portion of the dog’s skull.

Patches suffered from the presence of a large tumor dangerously pressing against her brain and eye socket. The tumor was so large that it had started growing into her skull, causing a significant portion of her skull to need to be removed.

Through the use of rapid prototyping and 3D-printed implants for reconstruction, Oblak was able to map out the tumor and practice the surgery on a 3D-printed model of Patches’ brain and tumor prior to performing it.

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